Usher Blames Social Media, Youth for Justin Bieber Struggles

With his friend and protege struggling through accusations of pot smoking and reckless driving, Usher taped an interview with Ellen DeGeneres this week.

And the R&B star continued to come back to the same reasons for Bieber's recent fall from grace: his age and the age in which he lives.

"There is no privacy," Usher said of the social media era, adding that he hopes Bieber continues to "mature" and grow," but it's a challenge when "that kind of trial and elimination period is kind of done in front of a camera."

The main charges against Justin at the moment stem from a Memorial Day weekend in which he apparently partied through the night, kept the neighbors awake and then scared their kids by speeding around town.

"I am hoping for the best," Usher said of Bieber's future. "I don't look at as a negative, though. I look at it as a teenager. A teenager having to live his life in front of a camera. Imagine if you had to do that as a teenager."

Of course, it's not that simple. Bieber often invites the cameras into his life and has used social media to help elevate his career.

Usher also said he keeps in constant touch with Justin and manager Scooter Braun and received a loud ovation and he confirmed that he'll be returning to The Voice.